Nozzle constructions



1968 F. v. HONNOLD, JR 3,411,572

' NOZZLE CONSTRUCTIONS Filed Sept. 2, 1966 INVENTOR.

FRED V. HONNOLD, JR.

BYWJy" ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,411,572 NOZZLE CONSTRUCTIONS Fred V. Honnold, In,North Syracuse, N.Y., assignor to Carrier Corporation, Syracuse, N.Y., acorporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 2, 1966, Ser. No. 576,940 Claims.(Cl. 165123) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An induction type airconditioning unit adapted for discharge of primary air therethrough froma plurality of nozzle members, each nozzle member having two dischargenozzles for discharging air through the induced air passage of the unitin a substantially vertical direction, the nozzles in each nozzle memberbeing canted away from each other to a degree suflicient to prevent airstagnation along the surfaces of the induced air passage in the unit.

This invention relates to induction type air conditioning unitconstruction. More particularly, this invention relates to a nozzlemember for use in an air conditioning unit of the induction type.

In United States Letters Patent No. 3,122,201, there is disclosed aninduction type air conditioning system wherein outside air is treated ata central station and then distributed at relatively high staticpressure and at relatively high velocity to a plurality of units, eachlocated in an area to be conditioned. The high pressure air supplied toeach unit is discharged therein through discharge nozzles and in thismanner induces secondary air from the area served by the unit. Theprimary or conditioned air and the secondary or induced air are mixedwithin the unit and are then supplied to the area to be conditioned.Within each unit is a heat exchanger. Preferably, during winteroperating conditions, a hot conditioning medium may be supplied to theheat exchanger while during summer operating conditions, a coldconditioning medium may be supplied to the heat exchanger.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide an improvednozzle member for use in an air conditioning unit of the induction type.

Another object of this invention is to provide a nozzle member capableof inducing a great quantity of secondary air through the airconditioning unit utilizing a small quantity of primary air.

Another object of this invention is to provide an air conditioning unitincluding an improved nozzle member.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved method ofair distribution in an induction type air conditioning unit.

This invention relates to an improved nozzle member including enclosuremeans having two nozzles defined by upstandingwalls through which air inthe form of jets may be discharged in a vertical plane, the enclosuremeans having an inlet for entrance of air into the member, the axialcenterline of the nozzle nearest the inlet being canted toward the inletat a slight angle from vertical while the axial centerline of the nozzlefarthest from the inlet is canted away from the inlet at a slight anglefrom vertical.

This invention further relates to an air conditioning unit comprising incombination a base unit including a plenum member, said plenum memberbeing adapted to be connected to a source of supply of primary air, aplurality of hollow, spaced nozzle members connected to said plenumchamber, each of the nozzle members including enclosure means having twonozzles defined by upstanding walls through which air in the form ofjets may be discharged in a vertical plane, the enclosure means having3,411,572 Patented Nov. 19, 1968 an inlet for entrance of air into themember, the axial centerline of the nozzle nearest the inlet beingcanted toward the inlet at a slight angle from vertical while the axialcenterline of the nozzle farthest from the inlet is canted away from theinlet at a slight angle from vertical.

The attached drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of theinvention, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an end view of an air conditioning unit employing the nozzlemembers of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along lines II-II of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view in section of the nozzle member.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the attached drawings, there is shown an airconditioning base unit for a room to be conditioned. The base unitincludes a casing 2 in which is disposed a plenum member 3. The plenummember is adapted to be connected to a source of primary air suppliedfrom a central station at high velocity and high static pressure.Mounted in casing 2 is a heat exchanger 4. Nozzle members 5, mounted onwall 3 of plenum member 3 over openings therein are provided withprimary air from plenum 3, the discharge of primary air from nozzlemembers 5 inducing room air through the inlet grille 6 of casing 2 intoheat exchange relation with conditioning medium passing through heatexchanger 4. The induced air then mixes with the primary air and isdischarged into the room through grille 7. Each of the nozzle members 5provided on wall 3' of plenum member 3 includes two opposed planar walls8 and 9, each wall being in the general shape of a quadrant. The arcuateportions of the planar walls 8 and 9 are joined by an arcuate surface13. Surface 14 connects the generally straight top edges of oppositeplanar walls 8 and 9. Two nozzles 17 and 18 defined by cylindrical walls20 in surface 14 serve to discharge jets of air from the interior ofeach member 5. The edges of the remaining planar walls 8 and 9 togetherwith the edges of the connecting surface 14 and the arcuate surface 13form an inlet 23 for entrance of air into the hollow nozzle member 5from plenum chamber 3. In other words, the nozzle member includes twoopposite side walls 8, 9, an arcuate end wall 13 connecting the sidewalls and a substantially horizontal top wall 14 connecting the sidewalls, these walls being arranged to form an enclosure having an inlet23 therein permitting air to flow through the enclosure and to bedischarged through nozzles 17 and 18 in the top wall 14.

The orientation of nozzles 17 and 18 on top wall 14 is important. Thefirst consideration in the nozzle orientation is to prevent airdischarged therefrom from interfering with air discharged from nozzlesin adjacent nozzle members. To this end, nozzles 17 and 18 are arrangedso as to discharge air in a vertical plane parallel to the planarsurfaces 8 and 9. The second consideration in the orientation of thenozzles is to provide a vertical fiow of air perpendicular to the planeof grille 7. Induced air flowing horizontally through inlet grille 6over heat exchanger 4 impinges on the stream of primary air issuing fromnozzle 18, deflecting the primary air stream toward plenum chamber 3. Tocounteract this, nozzle 18 is canted toward heat exchanger 4 at an anglefrom vertical so that when the primary air stream is diverted bysecondary air, the resultant air stream is directed in a substantiallyvertical upward direction without interfering with adjacent air streams,thereby reducing turbulence and increasing the quantity of induced airflowing therethrough in relation to the amount of primary air. While theexact orientation of the nozzle 18 is dependent on the velocity andamount of primary air flowing therethrough in relation to the velocityand amount of induced or secondary air impinging thereon, as a practicalmatter, it has been found that a nozzle canted at an angle of fromvertical towards the incoming induced air stream provides a resultantvertical air stream in an induction unit of the type illustrated in thedrawing.

One of the prime considerations in designing an induction unit is toprovide a unit that does not project an excessive distance from the wallinto the room. The required large plenum chamber and the need tomaximize the size of the discharge grille for efficient induction of airthrough the unit have therefore resulted in units wherein the plenumchamber is provided with a curved wall 3' so that a large dischargegrille extending partially over the plenum chamber can be utilized toprovide a relatively small induction unit having a large capacity.However, the curved surface ordinarily causes stagnation of the layer ofair adjacent thereto, decreasing the efliciency of the unit. The thirdconsideration in the orientation of the nozzles is to prevent stagnationof the layer of air along wall 3' of plenum chamber 3. Nozzle 17 istherefore canted toward plenum chamber 3 at an angle related to theplenum chamber configuration so that air discharged therefrom will flowalong the surface of wall 3' thereby effectively increasing thedischarge area of the unit. In the unit shown in FIGURE 1 having aplenum wall 3' of the configuration illustrated, a nozzle canted at a 5angle from vertical toward wall 3' will prevent stagnation of airtherealong.

As shown in FIGURE 3, a flange 30 surrounds the inlet 23. Flange 30 hasa groove 31 therein which receives the Wall of the opening in plenumchamber 3 to attach the nozzle member 5 thereto. If desired, anysuitable adhesive may be employed to assist in holding the nozzle member5 in place and to assure sealing the opening in chamber 3 through whichair enters the nozzle member. Nozzle members 5 may be molded of suitableflexible plastic, such as polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, etc. It isdesirable that the member be fiexible since such property greatlyexpedites cleaning of the nozzle and the removal of dirt particulescollected therein.

In operation, a central station (not shown) supplies conditioned air toplenum chamber 3. Jets of air are discharged .from chamber 3 throughnozzle members 5 which induces secondary air from the area beingconditioned through inlet grille 6 and through heat exchanger 4 in heatexchange relation with heat exchanger medium passing therethrough. Thestream of secondary air after passage through heat exchanger 4 mixeswith the streams of primary air being discharged from nozzle members 5,the mixture of primary and secondary air being discharged through grille7 into the area being conditioned.-

The present invention provides a simple, economical nozzle member Whichis extremely efficient in inducing air flow through the air conditioningunit. Further, the nozzle members are extremely quiet in operation, areeasily attached to the plenum and can be easily cleaned due to theirflexibility.

While the embodiment chosen to illustrate the invention has aconfiguration as shown in FIGURE 3, it is obvious that variations innozzle member configurations may be made without departing from theinvention disclosed herein.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it willbe understood the invention is not limited thereto, since it may beotherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. An induction type room air conditioning unit com-- prising a casing,a heat exchanger disposed in said casing, a plenum member spaced fromthe heat exchanger so as to form a passage for air flow therebetween,said plenum member having an enclosure means with a horizontal top wall,first and second nozzle means formed on said wall having their axessubstantially normal to said top wall, said nozzle means extendingsubstantially parallel to one another and to said heat exchanger, saidfirst nozzle means being adapted for discharging air from the plenum inan angular direction from vertical toward the heat exchanger so thatinduced air flowing through the heat exchanger will deflect thedischarged air whereby the resultant air streams formed by thecombination of the discharged air and induced air streams are verticallyoriented and said second nozzle means :being adapted for discharging airfrom the plenum in a direction such that the air discharged therefromfollows the contour of the plenum to prevent stagnation of air along thesurface thereof.

2. A hollow air discharge member for attachment to a plenum chamber inan induction type air conditioning unit having a heat exchanger spacedfrom the plenum chamber so as to form a passageway therebetween, saidmember including enclosure means defined by end, side and top wallshaving an inlet therein for receiving air from the plenum chamber, twonozzles having upstanding walls formed on said enclosure means lyingnormal to said top wall for discharge of air therefrom, the axialcenterline of both nozzles lying in the same, substantially verticalplane, the axial centerline of the nozzle nearest the inlet being cantedtoward the plenum chamber at a slight angle from vertical so that airdischarged therefrom will flow along the surface of the plenum chamber,the axial centerline of said nozzle farthest from the inlet being cantedat a slight angle from vetrical toward the heat exchanger so that theinduced air flowing through the heat exchanger will deflect thedischarged air stream whereby the resultant stream of air formed by airdischarged from said nozzle and the induced air flows in a verticaldirection.

3. A hollow air discharge member according to claim 2, wherein saidenclosure means comprises two opposite spaced quadrant shaped planarwalls, the arcuate edge portions thereof being joined by an arcuateconnecting wall, the upper straight edged portions of said planar wallsbeing joined by an upper connecting wall, said two nozzles being formedin said upper connecting wall, said inlet being formed by the remainingstraight edge portions of said planar walls, the edge of said upperconnecting wall and the edge of said arcuate connecting wall.

4. An induction type air conditioning unit comprising a casing having aninlet and an outlet formed therein,

a plenum member disposed in said casing adapted for connection to asource of primary air, said plenum member including a non-planar wall.

a heat exchanger spaced from said non-planar wall so as to form apassage for flow of air therebetween;

a plurality of hollow, spaced nozzle members connected to saidnon-planar Wall, each of said nozzle members including enclosure meanscomprising an end, side and top walls, said enclosure means having aninlet therein for receiving air from the plenum chamber, two nozzleshaving upstanding walls formed on said top wall and lying normal theretofor discharge of air therefrom, the axial centerline of both nozzleslying in the same vertical plane, the axial centerline of the nozzlenearest the enclosure inlet being canted toward the plenum chamber at aslight angle from vertical so that air discharged therefrom will flowalong the surface of said non-planar wall, the axial centerline of saidnozzle farthest from the enclosure inlet being canted at a slight anglefrom vertical toward said heat exchanger so that the induced air flowingthrough the heat exchanger will deflect the discharged air streamwhereby the resultant stream of air, formed by the air discharged fromsaid nozzle and the air induced through the heat exchanger flows in avertical direction in the passage formed between said non-planar walland said heat exchanger.

3,411,572 5 6 5. An air conditioning unit according to claim 4 where-References Cited in said enclosure means comprises two opposite spacedUNITED STATES PATENTS quadrant shaped planar walls, the arcuate edgeportions thereof being joined by an arcuate connecting wall, the3,01%760 12/1961 McGrath 165-123 X upper straight edged portions of saidplanar walls being 5 FOREIGN PATENTS joined by an upper connecting wall,said two nozzles being formed in said upper connecting wall, saidenclosure inlet 212771 12/1956 Austraha being formed by the remainingstraight edge portions of said planar walls, the edge of said upperconnecting wall ROBERT O LEARY Pumary Emmme" and the edge of saidarcuate connecting wall. 0 T- W. STREULE, Assistant Examiner.

